IMBC names keynote speaker for 2014 event

Motivational speaker, bestselling author and former comedian Steve Donahue will deliver the keynote address at the International Marina & Boatyard Conference, which is set for Jan. 29-31, 2014, at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.

Donahue will make his presentation, “Get a New Story,” on Jan. 30 at 8:30 a.m.

Described as “the best speaker we’ve ever had” by Volkswagen and having sold more than 100,000 copies of his book, “Shifting Sands,” Donahue is exploring new territory at IMBC 2014 by offering specific humorous examples of how you can get things right by first getting them wrong at the show, which is produced by the Association of Marina Industries. His ultimate goal is to motivate participants to find the heart of their company’s story to communicate better with customers and offer superior service and sales.

“It can be tough to view failure as a concept for fueling success,” AMI chairman Gary Groenewold said in a statement. “Steve Donahue uses his sense of humor to get this message across. His goal is to ensure his listeners walk away from his keynote with a better understanding of how we can all develop stronger business sense by learning from our mistakes.”

Donahue will follow the morning keynote with an afternoon roundtable in which participants will break into groups to work on their company’s story and hone their company’s message.